


Quarantine Buddies

by Star4545



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Pre-Book 2: Wayward Son, Quarantine, Virus, Watford (Simon Snow), a virus like coronavirus, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23385982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star4545/pseuds/Star4545
Summary: Simon Snow and Baz Pitch are both stuck in their room due to a virus. With barely any people left on campus, Simon and Baz start to bond and learn what it means to be strong.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Kudos: 68





	Quarantine Buddies

**Simon**

Time moves slowly in the room, especially when no one is talking. There is a nasty virus going around. Watford’s closed its campus. Penelope offered to take me home with her, but I decided to stay in my dorm in case the Mage needs me. He isn’t on campus, but he has promised to come visit me. For some reason, Baz is still here. I guess he didn’t want to go home. Besides us, there aren’t many students left.

Classes are still being held over video chat. I don’t understand why they couldn’t have used magick to make a better system, especially for those of us without technology here at Watford. Baz, the prick, smuggled in his laptop and phone, so it’s easy for him. I’ve missed my past few classes because of my absence of technology. The Mage keeps saying he’ll bring me a phone, but never does. I want to ask Baz if I could use his laptop or his phone. We share some of the same classes, I wonder if he would let me sit in on them with him; probably not, the bastard.

I found my red ball from first year. I’ve taken to playing catch with myself whilst lying down on my bed. Baz is typing something on his computer, probably a paper that isn’t due for a while. Baz is always on top and ahead in his work, I don’t know how he does it. The sound of his fingers hitting the keys is soothing.

“Baz,” I say. I normally wouldn’t disturb Baz when he is in the middle of work, but I am extremely bored. I’ve done everything I can to keep myself occupied. I take daily runs to keep up my stamina around the grounds, do my homework, practice my swordsmanship, but I need human interaction. Human interaction with someone my age who isn’t Ebb. I love her to bits, but I need someone who isn’t like my mother. He huffs, not bothering to look up from his laptop.

“Can’t you see I’m busy with something, Snow?” He sneers. I pretend to look around.

“Nope, can’t see anything.” Baz rolls his eyes. “Play a round of footie with me?” I sit up at the edge of my bed, bustling with energy.

“Are you ever not a pain in the arse?”

“C’mon Baz. It’s starting to warm up. Spring is finally here.”

“Go play by yourself.” I let out a desperate whine like a little kid not getting his way. If I made that noise back in the homes, I would be kicked in the side. He looks up at me and sighs. 

I’m used to being alone. Boys in the homes normally avoid me, so does the staff. They all think I’m at a school for the dire offenders. Maybe I should just pretend I’m at a home. I can normally get through the whole summer barely talking to anyone. I shouldn’t need to bother Baz, but it’s hard when you are in your happy place, but all the things that make it happy aren’t there. I’m stuck in my happy place with my mortal enemy, what a juxtaposition.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t’ve asked.” I say, lying back down, starting to throw the little ball in the air.

“I guess a game of footie wouldn’t be too bad.” I sit up quickly, all the blood rushes to my head. I stand up.

“Yes!” I feel myself smiling. I quickly put on my shoes and grab my football from underneath my bed. “Meet you at the pitch in ten.” Baz shuts his laptop as I rush out the door.

**Baz**

I’m hopelessly in love with an idiot, but there is nothing I can do about it. I was in the middle of writing an extremely important email to my family regarding my reasons that I am not returning home even if they bring Mordelia here and have her make puppy dogs eyes at me. I will live in this room until further notice, no matter how many emails my father sends about how improper this is, especially for someone of my social standing who is, _“old enough now to start looking for women to court,”_ like I’m in the eighteenth century. This email will break my father’s heart once he read, _“Dear Father, I am gay. Stop sending me articles about courting powerful women mages in the 21_ _st_ _century. How did you even find such a specific article nowadays anyway?”_ It needs some editing, but that is my main gist. Is it cowardly to come out to your parents over email? I was easily able to tell Mordelia and the other girls. Then again, Mordelia barely knows what gay means even though she reads way above her grade level. I also told Fiona on a particularly sad night when I had one too many drinks in my system. She ruffled my hair and told me she wouldn’t tell anyone before proceeding to tell me about her Watford lovers. That’s the same night I told her I was in love with Simon Snow. She looked at me like I was crazy but didn’t shame me. We both knew it would never happen and I would never live it down in my father’s eyes.

I quickly change for a game of footie. I haven’t played in a while, not since the team got stopped midway through the season. Snow is already kicking around the ball when I get there. I knew as soon as he let out that whine that I couldn’t say no. If asked to commit murder followed by that whine or Mordelia’s puppy dog eyes, I would do it. I might act like a right prick around Snow, but I would do anything to make him fall in love with me. Maybe my plan for the quarantine should be 1. Come out to Father, 2. Make Simon Snow fall head over heels in love with me. If by the end of this whole ordeal, I come out with Snow dangling off my arm like Agatha used to dangle off his, then I’ll be one lucky man.

I walk up to him. He kicks the ball to me. Snow is good at football, good for someone who didn’t grow up playing on a team. We play a couple rounds. I demolish him. I wonder if this would stop me from getting him to love me, but then I remember we’ve been pitted against each other since we were eleven. That thought makes me feel less guilty about beating him. One day, it will come to the big fight. Beating Snow in football is just a stepping stone.

He collapses on the ground once we are done, spreading out like a starfish. There is sweat gleaming on his forehead. The later afternoon sun is lighting up his face. His eyes are closed making him look happy, peaceful even. I want to see inside his mind. He opens his eyes and squints, looking up at me with a tired grin on his face. Snow looks beautiful like this.

I sit down next to him. It’s so quiet. I hate not seeing the mills of people walking around. An air once filled with magic is vacant of it. There is no Penelope Bunce chatting loudly about Magick Words, no Dev or Niall to play unlimited footie with, nobody. Only select faculty members and a handful of international students are still on campus: the cook, Ebb the goatherd, and a few teachers here and there. Fewer people here makes it easier to sneak off to the catacombs, but it isn’t worth the ghost town.

“Don’t you just love spring?” He says. I thought he would hate spring. It’s one season closer to summer which I know he hates. I hate it too, but I can’t imagine having to go back to boy’s homes summer after summer. 

“I don’t really like the warmth.”

“Vampire.” Snow mumbles. I don’t take it to heart; Snow is always mumbling about what I’m “plotting.” I’m never plotting, I’m just thinking of how much I’m in love with him.

“I’m more of an autumn person.”

“You would be.” I pick up a blade of grass and twirl it around my fingers.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Simon shrugs.

“It just fits you. Thanks for playing with me. You can go back to your work now.” He says, but I know I won’t be getting any work done anytime soon.

“Why didn’t you go with the Mage?”

“He didn’t invite me. I don’t think he really likes me that much. He never invites me to his home. Holidays are always spent here, except for summer at boy’s homes.”

“Why not Bunce?”

“Why are you so interested in my life all the sudden?”

“We are stuck here together for the rest of term. Might as well be amicable.”

“We’ve been here for two weeks and you haven’t made a move to-“

“Well, consider my outlook changed. So, why not Bunce?” I ask. Simon has his _“I think he’s plotting face”_ on. “C’mon, don’t give me that look. I’m trying to be friendly. We might have to battle each other one day, but there are bigger health concerns in the world that we don’t need to worry about killing each other at the moment.”

“I guess you’re right. Truce?” Snow asks.

“Truce.” I say, maybe now I have a chance.

“I didn’t go home with Bunce because… I… um… didn’t want to burden her. I felt like staying here would be the best option. Why are you here then?” I look down. I grab another blade of grass.

“It’s complicated.”

“I give you an honest answer and all you give me is, it’s complicated,” he says incredulously.

“You want me to spill my heart out to you?” Simon’s head turns toward me. “Not happening, Snow.” He groans, grabbing a fistful of grass and throwing it at me.

“Not fair.” I try not to be upset about how there is grass on me now.

“What are you, two?” I ask. 

“I’m eleven, so shut the fuck up.” I laugh. “Do you know that reference?” I nod. I wonder how he knows it after spending years in boy homes. I don’t ask. “Baz, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“For the classes we have together, may I look on with you? I don’t have a laptop or anything to access my classes on.”

“What have you been doing for the past two weeks?”

“Nothing. Miss Possibelf has been delivering me my coursework.”

“No problem, Snow.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

**Simon**

When we have classes, we go to the library and sit at one of the tables. I feel his leg bump mine underneath the table with how close we are sitting. I see Penelope on some of the video chats; she smiles when she sees me on camera. Doing classes with Baz isn’t bad. I hope he realizes I’m not as dumb as he makes me out to be. He’s been making fun of me less. He’s actually a good roommate now that we don’t fight at every turn.

He still hasn’t told me why he is here. I assume because it is easier to hunt. It isn’t until I find a little girl on my bed, do I realize it’s something more. She stares at me with big beady eyes as I enter the room. I’m sweaty from my morning run. I know Baz is at a class right now. 

“Hello,” I say. The guards to keep girls out of Mummers must be down. It makes me think about what other precautionary wards come off when barely anyone is here. It makes me scared that the Humdrum could attack at any minute. Maybe this little girl is the Humdrum, probably not; she's too cute and I know her to be Baz’s younger sister Mordelia.

“Hello. Where is my brother?”

“In class. He’ll be back soon.”

“My father is waiting for me. He told me we need to get Tyrannus and leave.”

“Well, like I said before, he’ll be back soon.” I dig in my bedside drawer to find my red ball. I give it to her. “Have fun with that.”

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Throw it in the air and catch it.”

“Do you have any books?”

“Your brother might.”

I hear the click of the door and am instantly relieved that Baz is there. He glares at his sister as soon as he sees her.

“What are you doing here?”

“We are having a party this weekend to try and find you a suitor.”

“We are supposed to be self-distancing.”

“Tell that to Father. He’s in the car.” Baz lets out a frustrated huff. I’ve never heard him sound like that before.

“Well, I’m not coming.” Mordelia rolls her eyes. It’s such a Baz-like gesture that I have to do a double take.

“Like hell you are.”

“Language! What would Father do if he heard you speak like that?” She sticks her tongue out at him, reminding me that she’s just a child. “Snow, can you please step out for a moment?”

“I need to shower.”

“Go into the hallway, Snow.” He spits. This is the coldest he’s been in weeks.

“If you need to go home, it concerns me. If you need help against your father-“

“I can handle my father just fine.”

“Says the one who still hasn’t come out to him.” Mordelia says. Baz looks on the verge of a mental breakdown. I’ve never seen him so anxious.

“Mordelia!”

“What?” She asks innocently. “What did I do?”

“Come out?” I ask. He grabs a fistful of his hair and starts to pull on it, a move I am very familiar with.

“Snow, out in the hallway now!” I finally take the hint and exit the room. “Mordelia, stay here. Don’t cause any trouble.” She lies down on my bed.

**Baz**

I basically drag Snow into the hallway. I’m angry and flustered. I did not want this to be the way I came out to Snow. I did not want to come out to Snow at all, but here we are. I’m considering confessing my love to him.

“Baz, what’s going on?” He asks as soon as the door closes. I put my back against the wall and sink down. “Baz?” Snow asks worriedly, sitting by my side on the floor.

“I’m gay.” I say. A little bit of the weight is lifted from my shoulders.

“And you’re upset about that?”

“No, Merlin, no. I’m proud of my sexuality. I just… haven’t come out to my family.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve been trying to compose an email. I’ve been trying since we got the notice that we all had to go home. My father kept trying to contact me, telling me he was coming to get me because this whole pandemic is the perfect chance to find my future wife. I kept not responding. Sometimes, I would write to him and tell him that I wasn’t coming home, but never why. Every time I start, I can’t find the words. I try to be eloquent and composed like I was taught, but it all comes out whiny. I sound like a character from a bad YA novel where the scripts are always the same, but the characters slightly changed. I’ve heard the comments he makes in the house about people like me. He’s stuck in his old ways. I know if I was to come out to him, I would never be looked at the same. I’m such a coward.”

“You aren’t a coward.”

“But I am.”

“Why?”

“I’m desperately in love with you and have been since fifth year. I haven’t been able to get it out. I’m a coward for never having the balls to tell you. I’m a coward for being scared to go home. I should be grateful to have a home and a family, but I wish they weren’t so stuck in their old ways. I wish they didn’t pin us against each other. I wish that our battle wasn’t the thing they were worried about when there is the Humdrum and the Mage and a global pandemic. I’m a coward for not being able to go up to my father and say, “I’m gay and I know you hate me because I’m a vampire, but I’m still Baz. I’m still your son.” Daphine wouldn’t care, but he would. He would care too much. Sorry, I don’t mean to unload this on you.” A few tears escape. I hope Snow doesn’t see them.

“You’re in love with me?” I look at him. I nod. He looks away. “And you’re a vampire?”

“That’s the thing you fixate on?” I let out a breathy chuckle.

“I… um… wow… okay.” He looks at me again. “Do you need support when you see your father?” He is avoiding the love confession.

“That would be nice. Though I don’t think he’ll want to see you.” Snow nods.

“I’m sorry that you don’t feel comfortable at home. I guess we are just a pile of misfit toys.” Snow puts his arm around my shoulders and rubs my shoulder. It’s a nice gesture. “I’m not ignoring your feelings towards me. I just don’t know how to feel about them, and I think facing the immediate threat is more important. Me, I’ll be here for the rest of term, but your father is across campus.” Snow removes his arm from my shoulders and stands up. He extends his hand to me, I grab it, and he pulls me up.

“I’ll get Mordelia.” He says and comes back a few moments later with her. She hugs my leg. I hold her hand as we go toward Father’s car.

He’s leaning against the car. He looks unhappy. “Tyrannus.”

“Father.”

“Simon Snow.”

“Mr. Grimm.” Snow says.

“Mordelia.” Mordelia says.

“Tyrannus would you like to explain to me what in Crowley’s name is going on?” I look over to Snow who has taken Mordelia off to the Great Lawn. I can still see them, but they can’t hear us.

“Father, I’m not coming home.”

“You want to stay here?” The disgust in his voice is unparalleled to anything I heard before.

“Yes.”

“We have a party this weekend.”

“Which you shouldn’t be having. That’s a surefire way to get a lot of people sick.” My father rolls his eyes.

“It’s to find you a wife. You know for being seventeen, I thought you would be much better behaved by now. You know the rules of high-class old families. We’ve been preparing you for this for years. “

“I’m gay.” That shuts him up.

“Beg your pardon?”

“I’m gay.”

“I know I shouldn’t have let you spend so much time with your aunt Fiona.”

“What does Aunt Fiona have to do with anything?”

“She pushed her liberal agenda on you.”

“I would have found the liberal agenda anyway. I’m gay, just accept it. I don’t want a wife.”

“Mordelia!” Father shouts. She runs over with Snow in tow. “We are leaving. We will discuss this at a different time. Enjoy the rest of your term.” And right before he turns to get into the car, Simon Snow takes me in his arms and kisses me square on the mouth. Crowley, it feels good and I really hope I don’t get sick. I’m breaking all the social distancing rules. Father grunts. Snow takes my hand and leads me back to Mummers.

“Fuck, that felt so good.” I’m so giddy that I’m using normie curses. Snow smiles at me. How can anyone look so good in a ratty Watford Lacrosse shirt and joggers. 

“I know I’m such a good kisser.” I hit his arm.

“Cocky son of a –“ Snow kisses me again. He’s still sweaty from his run, but I really don’t care, even when our foreheads meet.

“I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“It’s okay.” I say.

We walk back to our room. I sit on my bed, head still reeling about everything that has happened in the past hour. Simon Snow kissed me twice.

“I want to go shower.” He says.

“I’ll be here.”

“Don’t do any work. You deserve the day off.”

“We have class soon.”

“Pish posh we have class every day. Take the day off.”

“I can’t just do that.”

“Top of class, I know, I know.”

He takes his shower. I try and not think about everything that just happened, but it’s deemed a difficult task. When he comes out, we get ready for our Magick Words lesson. We don’t bother going to the library. We sit on his bed. The class seems never-ending. Plus, Snow has a reassuring hand on my knee that is taking all my effort not to fixate on.

When that class ends, I don’t bother looking at my coursework. I take a deep breath, finally letting the weight of the situation take over me. “What if I don’t have a family anymore?”

“Then we’ll be one in the same. You’ll have me.” I laugh. “You can have Penny too. I know you find her annoying, but you might get along if you actually talk to her.”

“I guess I do have you.”

“Rest of term buddies.”

“Rest of term buddies.” I repeat, even though I want something more. I’m almost desperate for it. He smiles at me and grabs my hand.

“Will you be alright?”

“I’ll try to be.” He squeezes my hand.

“Your father is an arsehole.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Snow lets out a weak laugh. He looks down at our hands, then up at me.

“Baz, do you hate me?” He asks sincerely.

“Didn’t I tell you less than an hour ago that I love you?” Snow shrugs.

“You’ve just been so mean to me these past years that I can’t believe that.” He says.

“ **On love’s light wings.** ” I say. We start to float. Snow looks at me deeply. I’ve never been stared at so intensely.

“I’ve never had anyone say I love you to me so openly.” He says. I guess he didn’t get much love in the boy’s homes.

**Simon**

The spell starts to wear off and we float back to the bed. I don’t know what to do or what to say, but I know I have to say something because otherwise the remaining months here will be incredibly awkward.

“I don’t know if I’m into guys,” I say calmly as if my brain isn’t a tornado of thoughts.

“Okay.” Baz looks dejected.

“But I’m glad we aren’t enemies and can talk about hard things. It’s like we finally understand the whole roommate thing.” Baz nods. He’s being awfully quiet. I see small tears popping out from his eyes.

“And I just broke up with Agatha.”

“Yeah.”

“I might die at the hands of the Humdrum at any time.”

“Yup.”

“I have too much magic that I don’t know how to control, and I eat way too much. I’m a mess.”

“That’s why I like you, Simon.” The use of my first name trips me.

“I’ve been hurt by a lot of people and creatures. I have scars.”

“I’ve been hurt too.”

“I’ll be a terrible boyfriend who is certain to get on your nerves all the time.”

“We’ve been roommates for several years; you don’t think I know that.” I laugh. “We are stuck at Watford for Merlin knows how long in this room. Neither of us have anywhere to turn. Whether we are friends, fuck buddies, lovers, I don’t care. I just need to know someone has my back.”

“You don’t need to worry. I will have it through and through.”

**Baz**

And he does. As days go on, he’s seen me cry and scream, but it doesn’t change his perception of me. He hasn’t kissed me again, but just being friendly with Snow is enough. That’s what I tell myself at least.

We are sitting on his bed two weeks after the incident when we hear a knock on our door. Snow answers it. It’s the Mage. He speaks to Snow in a hushed tone, but it all seems very urgent. Snow quickly grabs his wand from his bedside drawer and leaves without a goodbye. It’s a good five minutes after the door shuts that Snow bustles into the doorway again. 

“I have to go on a mission.” He says. He’s out of breath. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.” I stand up and meet him at the entrance to our room.

“Oh. Do you need any help?” Snow sighs.

“Would love it, but the Mage doesn’t trust you.”

“Makes sense.”

“Yeah.”

“It’ll be nice… getting out of quarantine for a while.” I say.

“I guess.” He scratches the back of his head.

“Why’d you come back?”

“I felt bad not saying goodbye.”

“You’ve left for days with no explanation before.”

“Yeah, but our dynamic is different now. It’s all gone soft,” he says. “I just… I want… um…” He reaches out for my hands and squeezes them. “Will you be alright here without me?”

“I’ll be lonely, but I’ll manage.”

“I’ll be back soon.” Why do I feel like a protagonist in a Victorian novel where the love interest goes into war? “Stay healthy. I don’t want to come back and have to nurse you back to health.”

“If anyone is going to come back sick, it’ll be you. You are the one leaving our safe bubble.” Snow steps closer and kisses me on the cheek. He lets go of my hands and heads out the door.

**Simon**

The mission is long and tireless. I want nothing more than to sleep in my bed at Watford. I actually miss my classes. I normally love being on missions. I get quality time with the Mage, get to put my sword fighting to use, and I get to escape. But like always the guilt of killing something, the guilt that some creature with my face is stealing away magic and harming mages creeps in. A sense of missing out, a feeling that I often encounter while away from long sprints of time, fills me even though I know that nothing is going on at Watford.

I remind myself why I am doing this. I am the Chosen One and chosen ones don’t rest when a virus is among the people. The Chosen One keeps on fighting. I find myself for the first time while I’m out on a mission thinking of doing this for Baz. No longer am I thinking what he must be plotting for me when I get back. I think of Penny. I think of Ebb and her kindness; about how she has been making me dinner some nights and sour cherry scones to pick up every morning on my runs. Beautifully tattered souls accompanying mine on this long fight.

The Humdrum is relentless. He keeps sending me creatures to kill. Each time I think I am getting closer to facing him head on, I find myself taking a thousand steps back. By the end of the fifth day, I am incredibly tired. The Mage has sat back, telling me I’m old enough to barely need his help, but I’m burning out. My magic is endless, but I feel like I have nothing left to give. I don’t want to kill anymore.

My tiredness only increases. My lack of sleep and extra exertion has made me start to feel sick. I cough and wheeze when I run too long, I can’t smell, I feel weak. I don’t stop though. I can’t stop, that’s not what chosen ones do.

When I finally, _finally,_ reach the Humdrum on the tenth day, I feel as though I will collapse. I barely have the energy to look my younger self in the eye, much less play its games.

“What the hell do you want?” The Mage is lurking behind me. He’s feeling fine through all this, although he hasn’t been the one fighting this battle.

“You know what I want.”

“Do I?” I’m exacerbated. The Mage has this sickening grin on his face.

“He wants your magic, Simon,” the Mage says.

“My magic.”

“As I do too. It seems like you aren’t well, Simon, a little run down. As the Chosen One, you should be invincible.”

“I did ten straight days of fighting. Of course, I am run down.”

“You seem a little more than run down.”

“I feel like shit. So, what?”

“You don’t deserve to be the Chosen One. I admit, I thought it was you, but it isn’t. You are much too weak for a Chosen One.”

“What are you on about?”

“Give me your magic. You aren’t strong enough to defeat the Humdrum, but if I had your magic, it would be gone in a jiffy.”

“Give me your magic, Simon.” The Humdrum says. I look into my eyes, then to the Mage.

“Why do you need it?” I ask the Humdrum.

“To feel whole.”

“How much do you need?”

“All of it.”

“Simon, don’t give your magic to it,” the Mage says.

“Why should I trust you?”

“You really are broken.”

“Are you just realizing this now? I spent my childhood with no love, no affection. Why should I help you when I could save the whole of the World of Mages?”

“Simon, I advise you not to do this.”

“What will you do… kill me?”

Thankfully I’ve gone through enough training with the Mage to know his tells. He lunges toward me, but I swiftly move out of the way. He grabs my ankle, trying to take me down, but I’ve already started to try and figure out how to give my magic to the Humdrum. I follow its instructions and feel the magic flowing out of me. When I open my eyes, it’s all gone. The shadow of the Humdrum is there, he is mouthing, “Thank you.” I start to cry, not just because for the first time in my life I’m cold or because I defeated the Humdrum, but I made a projection of my younger self feel loved.

The Mage is still trying to knock me over. I escape his grasp. “I want to hurt you because you’ve hurt me, but I won’t. I’ve killed enough this past week.” The Mage looks up at me. His eyes no longer devious.

“Simon, I haven’t been completely honest with you. I need to come clean.”

“Finally, some honestly out of you.” I let myself sit on the grassy terrain. It’s the first time I’ve rested for days.

“I’m your father.” That hits like a ton of bricks. “I had to give you up when you were young, but I always thought about you. I’m sorry it had to come to this.” He tells me the story about the birth rite, about my mother, about the life I could’ve had, but never did. I feel angry above all else. I just gave up all my magic, though it never really was mine, and now the truth comes crashing down. “I love you a lot, Simon.”

“I don’t forgive you.”

“That was in the heat of the moment.”

“You are a selfish, power-hungry liar. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“C’mon Simon,” I stand back up.

“In return for not killing you, you will resign as Mage. Otherwise, I’m sure the Coven would love to hear about illegal birth rites. Also, I want the phone you promised me. You’ve put me through the wringer. You’ve put me on death missions over and over again. You have put me through a sad, desolate childhood. Get the fuck up, we are going.” I wipe the snot that is running out of my nose from the sickness. Too bad for a powerful moment.

It takes two days to return to Watford. I barely talk to the Mage. I don’t want to. I desperately want to call Penny. I desperately want to see Baz. I desperately need a shower. Since the wards are off, I’m still able to get through the gates. I go up to Mummers and knock on the door. Baz opens it. I want to fall into his arms and cry, but I don’t.

“Hey,” I say.

“I was worried,” he says. He looks prim and proper like he always does. He is wearing a hoodie that I know is mine due to the quality of it, but I don’t question it.

“You had a right to be.” I almost don’t want to step inside because I’m so filthy. Baz opens the door wider. I step inside, but don’t make a move to sit down anywhere.

**Baz**

He looks like a right mess. He’s so dirty and his hair is tangled. Snow looks dreadfully pale. “I’m a little sick,” he says.

“I thought we promised to not get sick.”

“Being out in the wilderness does that to you.” I laugh. I’ve never been out in the wilderness a day in my life other than the Wavering Wood. I reach out to grab a part of him; his hand, his arm, anything. He shies away.

“A lot has changed in the past few days,” Snow says.

“Would you care to elaborate?”

“After my shower, yeah?” I nod.

Snow takes a dreadfully long shower. I had put some joggers and a shirt on his bed for him. He seems to appreciate it. I don’t bother hiding that I’m looking at him whilst he changes.

“I lost my magic to the Humdrum.” He says it so casually that I almost miss it.

“You what?”

“Lost my magic. It’s all gone.”

“Does Bunce know this?” He comes and sits with me on my bed.

“How would I have told Penny?”

“Do you know her number?” I ask.

“Course I do.” I give him my mobile. “Put her on speaker and tell us both what happened.” He dials Bunce’s number.

“Hey, Pen.” He says. “I have some shit to tell you. Baz is here. I’m going to tell both of you.”

Snow goes on to recount all that’s happened the past twelve days in excruciating detail. He has to stop in the middle to collect himself. I don’t think he wants me to see him cry even though we’ve had hard conversations before. 

“I’m coming to pick you up,” Bunce says when his story is over. I want to protest.

“I’m not going anywhere without Baz,” he says. I’m surprised by it. It seems that Bunce is too.

“Do you have something you are leaving out, you two?”

“We’ve just become close,” I say. Snow looks at me.

“Penny, I have to go.” Snow hangs up and puts my mobile on my bedside table. “I just couldn’t deal with her plan making right now.” I am shocked at how composed he is. Maybe it hasn’t settled in for him just yet.

“You are the strongest person I’ve ever met.” I don’t think I’ve easily been able to give out compliments to anyone but him.

“Baz, don’t say things like that to me right now.”

“I care about you.”

“Stop.”

“I love you.”

“Just shut up.”

“Make me.”

My mobile starts to ring. I see my father’s contact. He hasn’t reached out to me in weeks. I answer it, hoping he has finally come to his senses.

“Tyrannus, I’m just calling to inform you that the Mage resigned.”

“Oh?” Simon told me that was a term in his standoff with the Mage, but I would have never expected him to actually do it.

“We are deciding on an interim headmaster. Just thought I would let you know.”

“Alright.” Father hangs up. I look back to Snow. “The Mage has resigned.” He lets out a deep breath. “You alright there, Snow?”

“Fine.”

“You can cry.”

“I know.”

“You don’t have to stay strong.”

“I’m not. I just don’t want to cry.” I take his hands in mine. His fingertips are cold. “May I have a hug?” I pull him into my arms and kiss the top of his head. His head rests on my shoulder.

“This okay?”

“Wonderful,” he mumbles. “Will you still like me without magic?”

“I would like you in any circumstance, Snow.”

“I don’t like myself.”

“I don’t like myself either, but we live with ourselves, don’t we?” It comes out harsher than I would’ve liked.

He looks up and stares into my eyes. “May I kiss you?” I nod. He grabs my face and kisses me. I’m definitely going to get sick after this.

“Do you really think I’m strong?” He asks. I laugh.

“Yes.” He smiles. It’s a wonderful smile.

“Can I still be strong if I cry?”

“That would make you even stronger.”

Snow cries for a long time. When he finally recovers, we walk to Ebb’s hut. There are twelve days’ worth of sour cherry scones on the table. Snow runs into Ebb’s arms and they both cry together. Ebb can’t believe the story Snow tells her.

“I always knew he was a bad man. Lucy should’ve never been with him. He just used her. Lied to all of us, he did,” She says. “Magic or not, you are always welcome here. I’ll take care of you whenever you need a mother. Now, I can see you are unwell, let me help you.” She starts casting powerful healing spells on him. They don’t make the sickness go away, but it makes it a little better.

Snow doesn’t sleep that night, too panic ridden to shut his eyes. I stay up with him. I play him songs on my violin. He even lets me try and cast a sleeping spell on him, but it doesn’t work. I try my own spell, “ **The bad man can’t hurt you anymore.** ” It doesn’t work either.

Bunce comes in the morning. Snow is ecstatic to see her. He lifts her up in his arms and spins her around. It’s all too sweet for me. Snow returns to my side.

“Jealous?” He whispers. I shrug. He kisses my cheek, right in front of Bunce. She raises her eyebrows.

“There is something going on between you two.”

It’s a long process telling all of Snow’s teachers that the boy with the most magic now has the least. It’s taxing on his mental health. He stays with Ebb a lot. I don’t take it personally. I think they understand each other in a way that I don’t think I ever could. Bunce and I bond. She sleeps in Snow’s bed while Snow and I huddle in mine. Bunce knows a more powerful sleeping aid and it helps Snow sleep at night.

By the time term ends, the virus is more stable. We are able to be close, not that we hadn’t been doing that before. I sadly go home for the summer. I try to invite Snow, but he doesn’t want to impose. I repeatedly tell him that he would not be a burden. He goes home with Bunce. He promises me once I’ve talked with my father he will come. I hope he stays true to his word.

It’s hard to be away after growing so close. Simon Snow is always in my heart. I think about him every day. He calls me using his new phone almost daily. It’s nice to hear his voice. When he comes to Hampshire, he looks alright. There are dark circles under his eyes, but he tells me not to worry. I scoop him up in my arms and hold him close. I never want to let him go. I never want to be away from him.


End file.
